Politics and religion.

[pomtzu]

When I was still a child, I learned that when I point a finger at someone else, there are 4 more fingers pointing back at me.

To borrow someone else's quote I saw here today:

"Medusa is a wise woman".

[Medusa]

To borrow someone else's quote I saw here today:

"Medusa is a wise woman".

Uh oh. I'm at the age now when I'm called wise? This is not good.

[smokey the elder]

Lifetime political "service" may be part of the problem. The lifers realize how cushy of a job they have. They don't need to work for a living, so there is no incentive. IMO, there should be term limits all the way from dog catcher to POTUS. NYC imposed term limits, now Bloomberg wants to beat the system. Say what you want to about Giuliani; folks wanted him to run for a third term after 9/11 but he said it wasn't allowed by law and declined.

I didn't intend any slight to small acts of kindness by mentioning philanthropy; large scale philanthropy just has much more global reach. However, the man that got the Peace Prize for creating the concept of micro-loans also started small. (These have a repayment rate the envy of any big bank: well north of 90%.) There is another person who is arranging with Kenya, that if a village/town will plant 100 trees they will get a new laptop for their school. These types of activities are definitely quid pro quo; as they should be. No one should get something for nothing.

I think more emphasis is being put on "locals" who do good deeds, and that can be an incentive to others. This is also mandated in many faiths.

[RICHARD]

I didn't intend any slight to small acts of kindness by mentioning philanthropy; large scale philanthropy just has much more global reach. However, the man that got the Peace Prize for creating the concept of micro-loans also started small. (These have a repayment rate the envy of any big bank: well north of 90%.) There is another person who is arranging with Kenya, that if a village/town will plant 100 trees they will get a new laptop for their school. These types of activities are definitely quid pro quo; as they should be. No one should get something for nothing.

Gotcha,

One of the 'peeves' that DK has with his Stirling Engined purifiers and generators? It's great tech and he wants to make it available to the poorer areas of Africa. He wants the gov't. of countries to buy the units for their people, but, as in all AH backward 'governments' they want if for free. As with the monies that GWB pledged for the AIDs programs, isn't it easier to grab cash that's given away?

I don't know enough about B and M Gates philanthropy other that it's got a lot of zeroes behind a prime number? It's good to see money pledged to good causes.

I love to see the inventions/medicine and tech breakthroughs that help the masses. Having 'seen' the some of the advances in surgeries for years, it's exciting to know that someone is working on the problems in HC.

-------------------

Here's a tidbit that effing floored me when I heard it yesterday.

Howard Dean, when asked about the HCR bill did not include tort reform answered,

"We didn't want to take on the laywers."

That should answer the question we all have been asking about why are med care prices so high?

So,
The base root of why we are totally screwed with the costs of HC in the country will be left to their own devices....

And the Dems have the effing nerve to claim that the Repubs walked away from the table?

There was nothing being served that was worth waiting for. The pomposity and inability of everyone to get a grip on what is really happening in HC is downright scary.

Heaven forbid any politico's loved one gets ill and needs any treatment. Only then can we expect any kind of movement on that particular front.

I wonder if there is an outbreak of hemorrhoids in the congress and senate-seems like we are being forced to endure loads of BS from most of the people in those offices.

[Edwina's Secretary]

Lifetime political "service" may be part of the problem. The lifers realize how cushy of a job they have. They don't need to work for a living, so there is no incentive. IMO, there should be term limits all the way from dog catcher to POTUS.

I think term limits is an interesting concept but there are downsides. From a human capital management perspective - does this go for all position paid with tax dollars? How long is the learning curve? If the "term" ends just as the incumbent has fully mastered the job - what's the benefit? What is the ability of the organization to attract the quality they need with term limits?

Working out a system of term limits could be almost as complicated as solving the healthcare crisis!

[blue]

Oh dear, how little you know me. I'm English. I'm far too serious to play games.

And you have no excuses for your silly little shenanigans. Perhaps if you felt you were being baited, then it would have been a good idea not to bite the bait.

Your song may be different but the game is the same, the English are just more subtle.

I make no excuses for that resturant with all that funny stuff plastered on the wall.





Its not the baiting I mind, its when they chum the waters like Brody in the movie Jaws.

You didn't exactly expand on what you said before, but oh well.

In the latest Iraqi election, how many of those women, now with the liberation of exercising such equal rights, actually used them? What proportion chose to stay in their homes, lest they risked the violence they would face, the violence fueled by anger at a Western presence?

The MSM showed a large portion of women voters in Iraq. Its possible alot were stoned after the elections. What about the decades of violence the Iraqi people lived under during Sadam's rule?

You can lead a camel to water but you cant make it drink, is the common saying. Obama has left the camel behind, along with our soldiers and yours.

Yes

Did they get that Right after Shaw was ousted, or before?

Well, in a lot of ways he is.

Stimulus. The wars. Growing debt. More unconstitutional "czars".

Almost ALL politicians are the same.

The Kennedy Dynasty=good. The Bush Dynasty=bad. If Hillary ever gets to be POTUS, Clinton Dynasty=good.

As someone pointed out to me when I was complaining about some politicians once...have you ever run for office?

So those who are carping...calling all or almost all politicians evil or morons or thieves...

Have you run for office? Have you worked on the campaign of someone you think would be better?

Or is it easier to curse the darkness than to light a candle?

So you have to run for office to complain? You cant carp when the loonies are running the loony bin? Flamethrowers do tend to fix alot of problems.

I don't believe all are anything. Just as people who go into the military do it to make the world a safer place, I think most politicians run for office because they want to make the government better.

Making the world a better place is far different and a nobler ideal then making the government better.

As we all know those Founding Fathers were also politicians!

The Founding Fathers actually went out and fought for what they believed in, they didnt go out and spend years raising money to get ellected.

Do some politicians go bad? Sure. Do some in the military go bad? Sure. Heck, so do some teachers, lawyers, doctors, business people, athletes, etc. etc, etc.

I just have never like labeling ALL of anything good or evil.

Shades of Grey, thats a Gratefull Dead song isnt it?

I agree though, not all illegal imigrants are here to commit crime, but they are criminals because they are here illegaly.

A real piece of work.

He may have been as tired or as lazy as I was that night, yet he put more effort into his response then you did.

Bub!

But then you....

After all...I've never seen name calling win an argument or enhance a discussion yet.

Is that why you belittle people, talk down to people, and insult people to make your points?

I think term limits is an interesting concept but there are downsides. From a human capital management perspective - does this go for all position paid with tax dollars? How long is the learning curve? If the "term" ends just as the incumbent has fully mastered the job - what's the benefit? What is the ability of the organization to attract the quality they need with term limits?

Working out a system of term limits could be almost as complicated as solving the healthcare crisis!

Term limits would simplify the political process. Bills wouldnt languish in committees for years, things might actually get done for the actual good of the people, and not for the greater good, of the greater good of the greater good.

The longer politicians are in office the greater they complicate things. T Kennedy and whether or not his seat should be filled by appointment or by special ellection is a good example of complicating the political process.

[smokey the elder]

I think term limits is an interesting concept but there are downsides. From a human capital management perspective - does this go for all position paid with tax dollars? How long is the learning curve? If the "term" ends just as the incumbent has fully mastered the job - what's the benefit? What is the ability of the organization to attract the quality they need with term limits?

Working out a system of term limits could be almost as complicated as solving the healthcare crisis!

I should have stipulated "elected offices". The term limit number may be related to the office. POTUS has the toughest learning curve of all; you have at most 8 years to take a crack at it!

[smokey the elder]

The Dead song is "Touch of Grey", by the way.

[smokey the elder]

Air traffic controllers are not elected. They are part of a union. Term limits apply to those elected to office.